Auckland Libraries blog

Auckland Libraries loan periods for books, DVDs and magazines will change over the summer holidays. From Saturday 24 November you will be able to check out certain items for a longer period of time to accommodate reduced hours during the Christmas holiday period. These changes will continue to roll out in December. Loan rules for Nov 2018 - Jan 2019 From 24 November - 28 day loans become 42 day loans  From 8 December - 14 day loans become 28 day loans  From 5 January - 28 day loans go back to normal  From 12 January - 14 day loans go back to normal 

For Mental Health Awareness Week , Karen and Louisa recommend good reads which speak to the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand's five ways to wellbeing: Connect, Give, Take notice, Keep learning and Be active. Listen to this episode of Books and Beyond on the Auckland Libraries podcast . Books recommended by the Mental Health Foundation of New Zealand Beloved by Emma Farry Vitamin N: the essential guide to a nature-rich life by Richard Louv The nature fix: why nature makes us happier, healthier and more creative by Florence Williams The art of mindful birdwatching: reflections on freedom & being by C Thompson How to raise a wild child: the art and science of falling in love with nature by Scott D. Sampson Te Taiao Māori and the natural world by Te Ara Encyclopedia of New Zealand Blue mind: the surprising science that shows how being near, in on, or under water can make you happier, healthier, more connected, and better at what you do by WJ Nic

शुभ दीपावली / Happy Diwali! Diwali, also known as the Festival of Lights, is celebrated worldwide and is marked by Auckland Libraries as a key cultural festival. During Diwali, families, friends and communities come together in happiness to celebrate new beginnings and the victory of knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, hope over despair and light over darkness.  This year, Auckland Libraries theme for Diwali is:  ‘Be the light - Spread the light,’ which is aspirational in every walk of life. Diwali is celebrated over four to five days by millions of Indians around the world, with increasing numbers of people joining in to celebrate the cultural side of the festival.  Auckland Libraries is celebrating Diwali with beautiful and informative displays and great events.   Join us from 20 October - 4 November in celebrating community, family and light! Events Discover and celebrate Indian culture, music, dance and craft with Auckland Libraries. For more events

Our We Love Feedback survey is now updated and better than ever. Our expanded survey aims to collect customer feedback covering many specific aspects of your experience at Auckland Libraries. We want to hear your feedback on staff service, library spaces, our collections, online spaces and much more. You may receive an invitation in your email, or you can head to our website and click the We Love Feedback link  at the bottom. We always love your feedback!

Great news! From 11 October, RBdigital users will be able to automatically check out new issues of eMagazines as soon as they are available!  This means you will always have the latest issues of your favourite magazines waiting for you in your RBdigital account! When checking out a magazine, you will be able to select if you would like to be notified via email of the availability of future issues and have those automatically checked out and available for reading in the RBdigital app and website. If you have already opted to be notified when future issues of your favourite magazine are available, in future you will be emailed and your magazine will automatically be checked out to you. Find out more about accessing eMagazines on our website or click here to read more about RBdigital’s eMagazine selection .

Whose life stories are the most requested at Auckland Libraries right now? Steven Adams and Princess Margaret!  This week on Books and Beyond, Louisa and Karen talk about one of our most popular genres: the biography. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast. Books mentioned in the show Steven Adams: my life, my fight by Steven Adams and Madeleine Chapman  Body parts: essays on life-writing  by Hermione Lee Orwell's nose: a pathological biography by John Sutherland  Christopher Walken A to Z: the man, the movies, the legend by Robert Schnakenberg  Cleopatra: a life by Stacy Schiff Vincent and Theo: the Van Gogh brothers by Deborah Heiligman Daphne du Maurier by Margaret Forster  Take six girls: the lives of the Mitford sisters by Laura Thompson  The Sun King: Louis XIV at Versailles by Nancy Mitford Ma'am darling: 99 glimpses of Princess Margaret by Craig Brown Graham Henry: final word by Bob Howitt  Auckland Libraries' rad

This week on Books and Beyond, Karen and Louisa look at books celebrating the human-animal bond. Listen to this episode on the Auckland Libraries podcast  and read on for the books mentioned in the show. Novelty cat books Out next year! The costume-loving cat of writer Paul Koudounaris has secured herself a book deal, as reported in Viva magazine Texts from Mittens: a cat who has an unlimited data plan... and isn't afraid to use it by Angie Bailey Animal mysteries, a subgenre of Cozy Crime: Hounding the pavement  by Judi McCoy Mission impawsible  by Krista Davis Murder most howl  by Krista Davis Not a creature was purring  by Krista Davis Three books about beloved dogs: Finding Gobi: the true story of a little dog and an incredible journey by Dion Leonard with Craig Borlase   Flush, a biography by Virginia Woolf   Afterglow: a dog memoir by Eileen Myles   Treasure from the basement: My family and other animals by Gerald Durrell